Spring motor



Patented June 12, 192s.

HERMANN KOLLMANN, OF ERLANGEN, GERMANY.

p SPRING MOTOR.

Application led .Tune 18, 1927, Serial No. 199,789, and in Germany July 22, 1925.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement of series-connected wire springs in spring motors, in which the provision of spring drums is omitted. The improved arrangement has the advantage that,

besides complicated constructional parts,

such as drums being not employed, a very large number of springs of small breadth are connected in series on a bounded and narrow space, by choosing for the wire springs the cross-sections most favourable for resisting and bending moments. The

improved arrangement contains further a.v

connection of the individual springs in such a way that each spring can be easily mounted and dismounted without requiring a complete dismounting of all parts of the series of springs. Repairscan thus be executed in a simple and cheap way. A spring motor comprising the improved arrangement is, once wound-up, rather long-acting.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the improved arrangement: Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of two preferred constructional forms thereof, while Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections, respectively on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and 1--4 of Fig. 2.

Hereinafter, the opposite ends of a. spring are briefly called: poles, the outer or inner ends of flat or helical spirals being thus similar poles, as are also the right-hand or left-hand ends of elongated or coil spirals.

Any device may be driven from the shaft a. On a shaft b two wheels c and d are rotatably mounted, which are connected by a plurality of laterally cohering springs e. The driving wheel d meshes by a toothing f with the toothed wheel g coupled with the shaft a. The tensioning wheel c is a ratchet wheel in which engages a pawl lever Z so as to prevent said wheel from returning when tensioning the springs e. Said springs e are series-connected in such a way that with the employment of springs of similar winding direction the opposite poles and with the employment of springs of alternately different winding direction the similar poles are connected with each other. In order to permit an easy lateral connection of the springs and a separation of the same for preventing any friction and contact between their edge parts, discs t are revolubly mounted on the shaft o and provided with square or round borings u in which the pinlilre lateral extensions v on the ends of the individual springs are inserted, which arrangement at the same time neutralizes any V transverse strains and allows an easy mounting and dismounting of the springs simply by a displacemet of saidextensions parallel to the spring axis.

Fig. 1 shows the example of helical spirals and the arrangement of springs of similar winding direction.

, Fig. 2 shows a constructional form of the subject matter' of the invention for elongated or coil spirals with acompact arrangement of springs of different winding direction. yThe reference letters a, b', c', d, e', f', g, Z ydesignate corresponding parts to those in the former example. The inner plane faces of the wheels c and d have concentric rings w inserted in corresponding recesses therein, with each of which the similar pole-s of two succeeding concentric elongated spirals e are connected. The beginning of the first spiral and the end ofthe last spiral are, as in the former eX- ample, connected with the wheels c and d. On the wheels c al as well as on the rings w semi-annular bulbs are provided for reducing friction between the sliding planes. Instead thereof, the rings may be mounted on ball-bearings as known in the art and therefore not illustrated. Further flat rings 1 which after insertion of the rings 'w in the recesses in the wheels c', d are screwed to said wheels or to each of said rings, or attached by any other similar means, prevent the rings lw from getting displaced toward the springs e. The ends fu of the elongated spirals are rectangularly bent parallel to the spring axis and inserted in suitable square or round borings u of the wheels c', d and of the rings w, which arrangement corresponds to that shownin Figs. l and 3 but which due to the mov- :ability of the spring ends in the guides u neutralizes the transverse strains else occurring with this modied arrangement and to which the parts c', cl', fw, y would be detrimentally exposed. The spring ends may also be located in their guides u by roller or ball bearings in a way known in the art and therefore not illustrated..

In Figs. 3 and 4, the large'arrows indicate t-he direction of movement or rotation of the tensioning wheel c, or c', while the small arrows indicate the winding direction of the springs e, or e', which in Fig. 2 is indicated by short dotted lines. Y y v The operation of the improved arrange* ment is as follows By arresting the driving WheelA ,or d

and turning the tensioning wheel c, or c',

said turning is transmitted to the iirst spring;

e, or e', directly connected with the latter.y As the attachment-point (-oppositepol'e) of the irst and of all succeeding springs is also l movable, said turningl and tensioning is Y the spring action longer the more springs are series-connectedA transmitted tothe whole series f of springs, available "at g becoming the inl the system. The individual springs can be tensionedl to normal intensity. `After tinished tensioning, the tensioning wheely c, or c', is locked' against turning backwards by the pawl Vlever Z; When releasing.` the drivf additive spring action: of :the

ing wheel ,the Y springs e, or e", is available atthe consumption place g wheel;

To suit desires orrequirements, the operaf tion of the tensioning wheel c,- or c', can, of

course, transmission gear known in the art and therefore not'lill'ustratedf.

The improved arrangement can alsol be forv a rather longi usel without requiring a re-windingeup ofthev tensioningY be effected with the aid of a suitable4` for which purpose said wheel need simply .l

be-connectedwith a` propeller, an automatically t'ensioned stationary drivingv motor canl be obtainedi f V-hatl claim -is y y' The combination, in a drumless spring' motor, plurality oi seriesiconn'ected wireY connection members consisting ot spriii gs,

wheels and discs rotatable along the'plane faces ofvlv the individualvsprings and having,

b'orings therein, and VpinlikeL lateral eXtensions on the ends of said springs `engaging-` in' saidbo'rings rand capable of beingf dise-ngaged therefrom by their displacement par` allel to the spring axis.

v Inft'estimony whereof'I have hereunto setmy hand.

y' Hiss-MANN' Koiiiiisiariivf.` 

